weighty issue

hi i've been taking 20mg of fluoxetine daily for almost 2 years now for depression. taking this medication has helped me but the problem is my weight i have put on a stone in the last 18 months! i am an active person but i also have hypothyrodism for the past 8 years. i am wondering if its the fluoxetine that may have caused my weight gain?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Hypothyroidism is a much more likely candidate to explore..that should  be treated, and in addition, look to the possibility that you are still an emotional eater dealing with emotional issues that you should address directly rather than medicate.

[Jaquta]

It seems plausible but if it were due to the med I probably would have expected weight gain earlier.  Prozac is also said to be one of the better drugs for minimal weight gain as a side-effect.

If it were me I would probably be discussing hypothyroidism with my doctor and also looking at the possibility of emotional eating.  Emotional eating is something we sometimes do to manage our emotions.  This can sometimes be done subconsciously.

If you feel emotional eating may apply you could check out Dr Gould's website (shrinkyourself.com).

Good luck!